An Elfling in Need
by Edengwen
Summary: When Legolas' mother is lost by the hands of orcs, the young prince is dying inside. Thranduil doesn't know what to do so he turns to one person who might. From letters between Thranduil and Elrond and then the path they chose to take. Can they save the prince from falling into shadow before its too late?
1. Letter Sent to Elrond

Lord of Imladris

Dear Elrond,

It has now been three weeks since I lost my dear wife due to the ruthless orcs; I believe I am dealing with this alright, however I need your advice on something. I am very worried about my son Legolas; he has not been dealing with the lose very well. He spends most of his time locked away in his room and only joining me at meal times. He quickly finishes his meal and then leaves with little said.

I am at a lost on what to do. Hardly any of my household has seen him at all and they are becoming worried. I fear that he has begun to lose the battle to live. He has not been attending lessons also and missing practise in archery and that was one of his favourite lessons. I have lost my beloved wife and queen. I cannot lose my only son Elrond.

I remember when sadly your wife sailed to the undying lands, well Elrond I need your advice. What can I do to save him?

I have lost too much to lose my son, and with everything that has happened I need help. And you know how hard it is for me to say that, however if you breathe a word of this to Glorfindel, you will suffer painfully and slow death. And so will he and I believe you may want to keep him around to deal with those sons of yours. He has not spoken about his mother or how he is feeling. I know that I have never been one to speak about my feelings or listened to others about theirs.

Please Elrond I am lost on what to do? I need your help and advice.

Thranduil

King of the Greenwood Kingdom


	2. Letter to Thranduil

King of the Greenwood Kingdom

Dear Thranduil

I am sorry for your lose of your wife and queen, but there is only so much that I can do from here Thranduil. I will do everything I can to aid you, your family and your kingdom. It was hard for me and my family to deal with Celebrian chosen the way to sail, I understood her chose and I do not blame her for her chose as she suffered greatly. Arwen of course fled to Lothlorien after Celebrian sailed to stay with her grandparents, I asked Glorfindel to take her as I knew very well that he would never allow any harm to come to her, however in their absence I grow concerned about my sons.

Elladan and Elrohir I believed suffered more than Arwen, they were the ones to find her with Glorfindel so I believe that image could never be removed from their minds, however as Glorfindel and Arwen travelled to Lothlorien I found that Elrohir was remaining close to me but Elladan was nowhere in sight. The news that Elladan had left Imladris was not surprising; I knew that he blamed himself for what happened so allowing him time on his own was something I allowed.

However Thranduil you have every right to be worried. I was about Elladan as he cut himself off from the rest of the family, luckily Glorfindel returned so that he had someone to talk too. And it helped I believe that Glorfindel has witnessed death as it allowed him to know what to say to them.

I know your Kingdom needs you at this time however my only advice I can give you is to make the journey to Imladris with Legolas and allow him to talk to my sons and Glorfindel if he is still here, that is. He is planning on taking a patrol group up North soon but I hope he will have returned if you decide to come and visit.

Hope to see you in Imladris soon my old friend.

Elrond

Lord of Imladris


	3. Letter to Elrond for the Last time

Lord of Imladris

Dear Elrond,

Thank you for your advice on Legolas, I am very worried about him now. Since my last letter, he has begun to eat only little amounts. From what one of my seasonal guardsmen say enough to gives his body energy.

I am growing very worried, and I hope that maybe following your advice and hope that bring him to Imladris will help him move on and begin to heal. Maybe speaking to Elladan and Elrohir, who sadly had to face this very problem will help him to see that he can allow himself to heal and not sit in the shadows.

But also I hope that Glorfindel also may help when he returns, he use to always want to meet Glorfindel when I had returned from Imladris, so maybe meeting him will help him through this painful time.

I will leave my Kingdom at the beginning of spring as the road will be a little clearer instead of travelling in snow. Maybe the trip will allow me time to speak to him but at the moment it seems to me that he would rather avoid me completely and have nothing to do with me.

I will see you soon Elrond, I am leaving my Kingdom in the hands of my advisers however I may have to leave if something happens and I hope you will not mind if I leave Legolas in your care.

Thranduil

King of the Greenwood Kingdom


	4. In Imladris

In Imladris

Elrond was sat in his office at his desk looking over the new letter he had gotten from Thranduil. He was looking at the letter however he was lost in thought; he was remembering what it was like when his own wife made the choice to sail. Before she sailed Glorfindel sadly had to take Arwen to Lothlorien, Elrond knew that his old friend blamed himself as he was meant to be with the guard for Celebrian however he needed to take a message to the Havens and was nearly back when he came across one of the few wounded soldiers who had survived. He took the soldier back and then collected warriors back to the area before the twins heard what had happened.

However they found out quickly and Glorfindel wasn't going to send them home when their mother was missing. But Glorfindel was broken when he found Elladan and Elrohir with their mother before he could stop them, he quickly sent the brothers away to collect the horses and when his harsh look the twins left him to treat her. He covered her with his cloak and held her as she cried into his chest. Then Glorfindel had told him that he was seen no joy left in her eyes, and had warned Elrond that she may never heal.

He wished he has listened to his friend, he had so much hope and then it was crushed by her choosing to leave. At first Elrohir and Elladan wouldn't speak to anyone but to each other. Arwen remained with her mother till she had physical healed however then she found that her mother would never be the same and when she told her children that she would sail, Arwen quickly said her goodbye and then asked Glorfindel to take her to Lothlorien.

Glorfindel had also said his goodbyes to Celebrian and also promised to watch over her children and Elrond for her. Elrond had also heard Glorfindel tell her that the lands to which she was going would allow her to heal, before leaving with Arwen and ten guards.

Elrond then had travelled to the Grey Haven with his sons and watched as his wife and best friend sail away, but luckily the twins had returned to Imladris with him. Elrohir had started to work more with his father with the day to day running of Imladris. It had come as a shock that it was his younger son who was remaining strong for his father, however it was Elladan who worried Elrond.

His eldest son had cut himself off from everyone, the worrying fact that he had also cut himself off from Elrohir. His son had told him that he couldn't feel Elladan as strongly as before. This was worrying for Elrond, he thought at the time that maybe Elladan needed space to heal himself and the connection that wasn't as strong with his brother was a way to allow his brother not to feel his pain that he must have been feeling.

However soon after this mood that Elladan had been feeling was a lot more dangerous that he first thought, Elladan had been avoiding his father and brother as much as possible; he spent most of his time outside near the woods or in the stables with his horse. A week after their mother had sailed they did what their mother had asked; to let her horse be free. Saying goodbye to their mother's horse was hard, however it was their mother's wish. Elladan horse was also acting in a simpler mood to his owner; the young stallion was always moving away from the herd and not allowing anyone near him but Elladan.

Weeks had gone by that Elrond hadn't seen his oldest son very much. He hardly saw him at meal times; he had asked the kitchens to make sure that Elladan had eaten something which normally he did. However soon after Elladan would ride out into the woods and would not tell anyone where he was going or when he would return.

This carried on for weeks, however it would have been days not hours that Elladan would travel and more than a few times he would return with blood on him and on his blade with sometimes wounds of his own that he secretly asked another healer to mend and not allow his father to however the healers also grow worried. Something in Elladan had changed and it was not good.

Elrond at the time did not know what to do; Elladan would not speak to anyone about what was going through his head or heart. Then he did not return from a ride that lasted five days. He wanted to send someone after the first day however the last elf never found him, it was like he disappeared but he would always return. Luckily Glorfindel returned soon after the sixth day and was greeted by a very worried Elrond.

Glorfindel had left nearly as soon as Elrond had told him if it hadn't been for the fact that he needed a fresh horse to get him there. Another two days Elrond waited, how could he allow his son to fall away from him and his son. Had Elrohir and his own needs outweigh Elladan's?

The evening sun had just set when two horses returned into the courtyard. Elrond moved to come closer to the door however he met Glorfindel's eyes and didn't move any closer. However Elrohir tried to run past if it hadn't been for his father's arm stopping him. Elladan seem to be in a better mood, both Elladan and Glorfindel took their horses into the stables and the next day Elladan seen to become more of himself, Elrohir seemed to be happier. Elrond guessed that their connection was stronger again.

Elladan returned for breakfast for the first time in weeks and when the two brothers left the room to cause trouble, Elrond turned to his friend and asked him how he turned Elladan around and what did he say to him? However his old friend did not speak a word to what he said to Elrond only that the brothers would now slow start to heal. But there was something in his old friend's eyes that made Elrond believe him. The haunt look he had seen before so asked no more questions and he never mentioned it again.

However coming back to his office, Elrond looked at the open window. It was late morning and he guess his sons would be in the training field. Glorfindel had been getting ready for his patrol to the North, the orc numbers that had been recorded there and they were slowly moving into their borders. Glorfindel and Elrond had both agree along with Erestor that allowing the orcs to move too freely would be very dangerous so Glorfindel offered to go and deal with them with around thirty-five warriors mainly because of the numbers that had been reported.

Sadly this mission had been planned before the letter from Thranduil, if it hadn't Elrond would have sent another captain and kept Glorfindel close to the boarders, but there was no point changing the plan now as his two other high ranking captains were busy, one was on patrol to the South and the other sadly was in the healing wing after his patrol ran into some orcs. Sadly it ended in three warriors injured but luckily no deaths but his captain was serious hurt.

Placing the letter from Thranduil on his desk and getting from his seat he moved towards the window, as he looked down onto his family's private garden he saw his daughter reading under near the great apple tree that he and Celebrian had planted the day that they married. Glorfindel had asked that a bench was placed under the little tree for them at the birth of the twins. Arwen had only been home for a few days after sending the winter months in Lothlorien with her grandparents. Elladan and Elrohir had collected her with a few of the guard and brought her home, it was their punishment for placing a bucket above Erestor's office door.

Also if the young prince needed to talk to someone, she was the one that Elrond knew that may get through to the young elfling. Elrond knew very well that she was quieter nature and had a kind heart like all of his children however Elladan and Elrohir were the trouble makers of the family.

Elrond again moved away from his window and moved towards his desk, he picked up his cup of tea which he had personally mixed in some herbs to deal with his grown headache. Remembering the dark time in his family history, however he thought that he better inform Glorfindel and Erestor of the plan of Thranduil coming to stay as he knew Glorfindel wouldn't be so happy about it. Having the woodland elves in Imladris alwayed caused problems between the warriors, mainly due to the fact that the woodland elves believed that they were better than any others, and that caused problems with the warriors of Imladris as they had all being trained by Glorfindel and the other remaining warriors that had survived the great battle and they were all well trained with deadly aim.

Elrond then went to his door and opened it, luck have it that a passing guard was walking back to the barracks after visiting his captain. He bowed to Elrond as he saw him. "My Lord do you need something?" The guard asked, Elrond had seen this guard before. He was around the same age as his sons, and had trained with them since then.

"Yes please can you find Erestor and Glorfindel and ask them to meet in my office at once; there is something I must speak to them about." Elrond asked and at the end the elf nodded and walked quickly in the direction of Erestor's office. Elrond smiled as he re-entered his office. Erestor of course the elf would go and get him as Erestor would go and personally find Glorfindel and drag him from whatever he was doing to get him there. Erestor and Glorfindel relationship was very funny to watch due to the fact that they always ended up arguing over the little thing. Elrond knew that Erestor respected Glorfindel however he would never admit it.

Elrond sat back at his desk and re-read Thranduil's letters again until his two advisers came in. Ten minutes later Elrond heard a light nock on his door. "Come." Elrond said without looking up. He heard the door open and someone come into the room. Elrond looked up to see only Erestor. Who looked very annoyed with something, Elrond only wished that it wasn't anything to do with his sons like normal.

"Thank you for coming Erestor." Elrond said offering his hand to an empty seat in front of his desk which Erestor gladly took. "What is wrong Erestor, you look annoyed at something?" Elrond asked hoping that it had nothing to do with his sons as he was not ready to deal with them now.

"Glorfindel. That's who. Sometimes it's hard to believe that he is a firstborn lord, he acts like an elfling at times. Sometimes I think it's him who made your sons as bad as they are." Erestor finished taking a long breath at the end.

Elrond smiled at this comment, he knew very well that his old friend has a high sprit and sometimes that got him into trouble but it also helped him. Throughout his long life and even his death, that sprit helped him to live on and not fall into shadow. Like Elrond thought it would have to anyone else that it had happened too.

"Where is he Erestor? I asked for both of you." Elrond said trying not to smile at his friend. Erestor looked at him and then stated, "I went to get him but he was too busy sparring with some of the guard like he normally does. I don't know why, he does have a patrol to go on and training this long will make him too weak to do his patrol." Erestor said signing at it.

"I don't class myself as weak Erestor and I can rest before I leave this afternoon." They both heard from behind Erestor. Elrond looked at the door not remembering hearing the noise of it being opened. There stood in the door way was Glorfindel; his tunic was covered in dirt from sparring with his guard. He smiled at Elrond, and walked into the room and took the other seat next to Erestor.

Elrond shock his head at his old friend, how just gave his normal grin. Elrond then looked back down at Thranduil's letter and knew what he had to do. He had to tell them. "I have been getting letters from the Greenwood Kingdom." Elrond started, but he spotted Glorfindel looking back out of the window. "Thranduil has sadly lost his wife in the hands of orcs close to the city; all of her guards were also killed however it is their son he is worried about." Glorfindel still looked out of the window but rubbed his hand over his face.

At first Elrond saw all of Glorfindel face show all of his age at once. Erestor's face also fell. Elrond also saw something in Glorfindel's eyes. The same look he had when Celebrian sailed, "Thranduil is worried about his son, Prince Legolas. He has become quiet and is hardly been seen by anyone. He doesn't want to be around anyone anymore." Elrond finished.

"He is luckily he isn't Elladan's age." Glorfindel muttered under his breath. However Elrond heard it, he looked at his old friend. He had never known what Elladan had done when he disappeared but he guested that it wasn't anything good.

"Legolas is only an elfling, and we cannot allow him to fade in this way. Also I don't believe Thranduil could deal with the loss of his only child and losing their King, the Greenwood Kingdom would fall to any attack." Elrond said leaning against his chair with on hand the letter from Thranduil and the other he rubbed the side of his face.

"I have invited him here and he is bringing Legolas with him. I am hoping that meeting Elladan and Elrohir might help him to start to heal but I am worried." Elrond started looking at Glorfindel.

"You mean with me leaving today?" Glorfindel asked looking at Elrond. He nodded in reply.

"We cannot stop this patrol, nor can I leave this to another. I am the only caption that is left uninjured or not already on patrol." Glorfindel said looking right at Elrond.

Elrond signed. "I know. Thranduil is going to be leaving his Kingdom in early spring mostly due to the winter snow in the mountains. He will be here around two weeks later, I was hoping…" He saw that Glorfindel was about to speak. "…..that you will have returned soon before or just after."

At this Glorfindel signed and lent back into his chair. He knew what was going through the elfling's head. But he had to go on this patrol. And Elrond knew that this patrol would stop any orcs from entering their borders and also it would move the threat for them for the arrival of Thranduil who would be a great target for them but also the young prince would be also a target for them.

The three sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Glorfindel final spoke, "I understand Elrond, however by my council I want to increase the number of patrols and guards along our borders, with that if any threat does come at Thranduil we will have guards that can aid them or even defend them. And that someone meets them at the crossing. That way they can bring them safely here instead of risking a battle." Elrond studied his old friend, he was right of course and he knew who to send to meet Thranduil. He then smiled at his old friend and nodded.

Four hours later he watched as Glorfindel left Imladris on his mission with his warriors. All armed and ready for war with the orcs, he prayed for all of their safe return but also his mind fell back on the young prince. He also prayed that somehow coming here will allow the young elfling to heal even slowly but allow him to live.


End file.
